Committed (2000)

45% of critics liked it
(40 reviews)
31% of users liked it
(3,748 ratings)

Heather Graham stars in this indie exploration of love and marital commitment directed by Lisa Krueger. A hardcore believer in the sanctity of marriage, plucky Joline (Graham) is stunned when her husband Carl (Luke Wilson) abruptly dumps her, leaving only a vaguely-worded note to explain himself.… More Heather Graham stars in this indie exploration of love and marital commitment directed by Lisa Krueger. A hardcore believer in the sanctity of marriage, plucky Joline (Graham) is stunned when her husband Carl (Luke Wilson) abruptly dumps her, leaving only a vaguely-worded note to explain himself. Undaunted, Joline leaves New York to look for her man and discovers him in the wild west of El Paso, Texas, after meeting a bevy of ne'er-do-wells and weirdos along the way. She discovers that Carl is shacked up with a beautiful Hispanic woman named Carmen (Patricia Velasquez). Meanwhile, Joline's flirtatious brother Jay (Casey Affleck) shows up from the Big Apple to look after his sister. Later, two men enter Joline's life. One is Neil (Goran Visnjic), Carl's hunky, beguiling neighbor, who increasingly becomes the object of Joline's affection, and Grampy (Alfonso Arau), an aging Mexican medicine man who becomes Joline's spiritual guide. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Lisa Krueger
Written By: Lisa Krueger
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 28, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Oct 2, 2001

Critic Reviews

A.O. Scott, New York Times
All in all, Committed lacks the courage of its convictions.
Michael Atkinson, Mr. Showbiz
Ambiguous enough to let you contemplate the thin line between love and obsession.
Robert Horton, Film.com
Until it backs itself into a narrative corner, Lisa Krueger's Committed. is a delightfully unpredictable experience.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
With its capacity to surprise, the film comes to life when you don't expect it to.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Overall, Committed is a disappointment.
Jonathan Foreman, New York Post
In Committed [Graham] finally gets the chance to carry a movie, and she does so admirably.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Somewhat bizarre chick flick. R for language.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
A well-crafted, clever comedy.
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
Krueger deserves credit for pulling off what amounts to a madcap date movie.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
Committed is one of those quirky, plotless movies that substitutes novelty for story.
Jonathan R. Perry, Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)
The lethargic script could benefit from its heroine's singularity of purpose.
William Arnold, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
One more excruciatingly charmless American indie comedy.
Scott Renshaw, Scott Renshaw's Screening Room
Actually, Committed only teases with subtext, since it's not much of a commentary on anything.
Annlee Ellingson, Boxoffice Magazine
A fun supporting cast.
, E! Online
Although the story contains more style than substance, Krueger's follow-up to Manny and Lo still has plenty to offer.
Nell Minow, Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Families who see the movie should discuss the challenge of maintaining a balance between supporting the person you love and enabling destructive or self-destructive behavior.
Cornell & Petricelli, CinemaSense.Com
Committed boldly sifts through our all too human absurdities, but it never loses its path to the final message, and one well worth waiting for.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Eric S

This is a simple, good little film that did not go over well in theatres, but was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival. The cinematography is quite good and somewhat reminiscent of "Bottle Rocket", and the cast delivers solid performances. Heather Graham stars as a committed… More
This is a simple, good little film that did not go over well in theatres, but was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival. The cinematography is quite good and somewhat reminiscent of "Bottle Rocket", and the cast delivers solid performances. Heather Graham stars as a committed wife and New York club owner named Joline who basically stalks her husband Carl(Luke Wilson) who moves to an isolated area in Texas to "find himself". He does the occasional photography gig for a local paper, but is not capable of taking control of his life. As he is in his trailer with an option to buy, Joline watches and even becomes chummy with Carl's few neighbors, the woman he's dating, and even encourages Carl's editor to give him better assignments. Mark Ruffalo is quite good as Carl's girlfriend's jealous, truck driving ex-lover who Joline actually protects Carl from. The supporting cast of Casey Affleck as Joline's brother and Dylan Baker as a neighbor who's quite taken with Joline works quite nicely within the confines of this film. Heather Graham is definitely overlooked as an actress who has a charm that comes through in various ways. Though this film does lack focus with a script that's all over the place, it comes together enough to make this film entertaining for what it is.
Mason W

Heather Graham is sweet in this film. Her husband one day up and leaves.....what is a lady to do??? Heather goes and finds him and meets some other fun people on her journey....Casey Affleck and Luke Wilson are both in this film and brighen in up more.
Nicky M

Despite a fantastic cast (Heather Graham, Luke Wilson, Casey Affleck, Mark Ruffalo), I was nothing short of bored with this flick and had trouble even finishing it.
Leo L

Great movie! Great cast. Great story plot. Great music.
Robert F

This is one of those movies you always see at the rental store, but you've never actually seen. So the other day, I decided to finally find out why Heather was giving me the (ring) finger. I liked her character - she was sweet - but the story probably shouldn't have been… More
This is one of those movies you always see at the rental store, but you've never actually seen. So the other day, I decided to finally find out why Heather was giving me the (ring) finger. I liked her character - she was sweet - but the story probably shouldn't have been made into a movie. Damn you Casey Affleck! How do you keep getting work!!! I wish Clea DuVall had have been in this more.